My Review:
4 of 5 Hearts
- The perfect Disney-themed cozy to scratch the Animal Crossing itch
- Fun questlines and unlockables keep you engaged and coming back for more
- Gorgeous aesthetics, music, and items to purchase and decorate with
- Less time-demanding than ACNH, but still just as fun and relaxing
- Rife with glitches and bugs (though the game is still in early access, so this is to be expected)
- Some of the in-game characters are creepy and/or obnoxious
Disney Dreamlight Valley Game Synopsis
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a Disney-fied life sim with a focus on building friendships with classic Disney characters, building and designing the valley of your dreams, and unlocking new biomes and characters on the adventure of a lifetime.
All the while, you’ll be engaged in classic cozy mechanics like farming, foraging, fishing, cooking, and crafting.
Your story begins when your character is sucked into the world of Dreamlight Valley: a once vibrant land brimming with magic and joy that’s now riddled with darkness and ominous plants called night thorns.
You quickly discover that you have the magic needed to clear the valley of these thorns, and to save the valley and its residents from the harbinger of the thorns: The Forgetting.
You’re recruited by Merlin to help revive the valley, befriend the villagers, restore facilities, and rescue the villagers lost to The Forgetting on your quest.
Disney Dreamlight Valley's Gameplay
The simplest way I can describe Disney Dreamlight Valley’s gameplay is this: it’s like if you combined the classic coziness of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns with the magic and whimsy of 90’s-era Disney princess movies.
It truly does feel magical, and hearkens back a simpler, more dreamy time for Disney babies who have become grown millennials.
Naturally, you’ll be doing a lot of cooking, crafting, fishing, farming, foraging, mining, and beautifying. However, one area where Dreamlight Valley severs its ties to traditional cozies is in its heavy story presence and a focus on side quests and unlockables.
While most cozies do feature unlockables to a degree, no cozy does it like Disney Dreamlight Valley–and as a completionist and collecting aficionado, I am HERE for it. You have to unlock EVERYTHING, and it is SPECTACULAR. There are so many hidden little secrets that help you unlock even more things, and it’s a wonderful formula that encourages exploration and deepens the sense of magic and adventure.
Art and Sound: Disney Magic and Whimsy Abound
I always think it’s important to discuss the art and sound of a game, because those two factors have such a strong influence on how immersed a player can become in a game. This is especially true for this Disney Dreamlight Valley review.
The color palette is highly saturated, with all of the cartoon-esque jewel tones reminiscent of the Disney brand. Much of the scenery is lush and natural, but you will never pass by a landscape that doesn’t have a rich green, blue, or purple feature.
I’d also like to touch on one of my favorite parts of the game’s art: THE ITEMS. Scrooge’s shop is literally a hall of gorgeous treasures that I can’t wait to explore every day. From outfits, to hairstyles, to interior decor, to natural features, I am OBSESSED with shopping in this game. Truly incredible item design.
Then, as expected of a game from the same company that consistently produces catchy and timeless songs, Dreamlight Valley’s soundtrack is equal parts delightful and magical. A lot of the tracks are Disney tracks remixed in a light, whimsical, orchestral style that matches the same “vibe” of the game itself. You’ll definitely find yourself humming along!
Overall, the art and sound of this game are top of the line–if we’re rating them, a 10/10 for each, easily.
We Need to Talk About Donald (And Goofy, Mickey, Ariel...)
The worst part of this game, bar none, are the horrific characters.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. “That’s impossible. The Disney characters are so delightful.”
Yes, sure. But not these interpretations.
Donald Duck is obnoxious, he’s always throwing a temper tantrum complete with “tea kettle whistling” sound effects, and I’m sure his accent is endearing to some, but I honestly wish I could turn his voice acting off.
Goofy is always making weird sounds. Like… always. I’ll be enjoying a leisurely gardening session and hear him grunting and freaking out a few paces over.
Mickey is like… always following me? He just makes me uncomfortable; I don’t know what to tell you.
And Ariel… Well, this picture should explain that bit for you.
Otherwise, my only real gripe is the bugginess, which is expected of an early-access game. This truly is a fun game. It’s nothing revolutionary, but wow, is it ever a race to check Scrooge’s shop and do my other dailies every morning!
The Consensus: Is Disney Dreamlight Valley Worth It?
As of right now, you can play Disney Dreamlight Valley early access starting at $29.99. However, knowing that the game is intended to be freemium (free with microtransactions) post-early access, should you get it now?
I believe that, if you feel like you’d enjoy the game, you should absolutely spend the $30 on it. Honestly, it feels as fun as a $60 game and then some–I can’t believe it’s going to be free! One huge benefit to buying it now is being able to save on microtransactions by getting access to in-game currency quickly upfront.
However, I can’t say in good faith that it’s the best financial decision, or that buying it now means the most bang for your buck. All I can say with any certainty is that this game is FUN, and I’m glad I joined the fun when I did! I think DDLV will continue to be the next big thing in cozy gaming until the next Animal Crossing title, and so much of cozy gaming is community. In fact, I only bought the game in the first place because everyone on Twitter was raving about it and I wanted to be a part of it!
So, if timing doesn’t matter that much to you, feel free to wait. But if you value community in gaming as much as I do and you can afford the price, jump on the hype train with us and give Disney Dreamlight Valley a chance. I know you’ll be glad you did!
